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Don’t Settle Down in Haran!
And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran. Genesis 11:31-32;
And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran. Genesis 11:31-32;
From a careful study of Genesis 11:31- 32, it can be established that there had been a previous move that was actually initiated during the lifetime of Terah (Abraham’s father) to go out of Ur of the Chaldeans into the land of Canaan. Before his death, the scripture makes us to understand that Terah (Abraham’s father) took Abraham, Sarah - his daughter-in-law (Abraham’s wife) and Lot his grandson (his late son - Haran’s child) out of Ur of the Chaldeans to move into the land of Canaan. However, one way or the other, the move did not fully materialize. While Terah, Abraham, Sarah and Lot actually departed from Ur of the Chaldeans, they didn’t get to their intended destination, but rather stopped halfway to settle in Haran where Terah eventually died.
The first question that comes to mind here is whose idea or decision was the initial move to leave Ur of the Chaldeans for the land of Canaan? Also, at whose instruction or command was the initial move made? If the initial journey out of Ur of the Chaldeans towards the land of Canaan was initiated under God’s express instruction and command, who was the instruction or command specifically directed to? It is important we find answers to these questions, especially when considering the fact that, later in Genesis 12:1, the Bibles says “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee”. Looking at the statement ‘Now the LORD had said unto Abram…’, it would appear this was not the very first time the LORD was speaking about moving out of Ur of the Chaldeans. The statement doesn’t sound like a totally fresh instruction. The previous move, most probably, was initiated because some form of prompting was received from the LORD.
From the statement “And Terah took Abram…” it would appear it was Terah that made the decision and played the lead role in the initial move of the family to go out of Ur of the Chaldeans, but the fact that Nahor, Terah’s second son, was completely left out of the relocation arrangement, suggests otherwise. Terah lived and raised his three (3) sons – Abraham, Nahor and Haran in Ur of the Chaldeans. The three sons got married in Ur, but the last son –Haran died, leaving Abraham and Nahor, together with Lot (late Haran’s son). If the initial move was actually Terah’s idea, I see no reason why he would exclude Nahor (his second son) from the relocation plan. Abraham, most probably, had personally received some form of prompting from the LORD about the urgent need to move out of the land of Ur of the Chaldeans, and had shared the idea with his aged father. Considering the way and manner he went with Lot when God spoke again to him in Genesis Chapter 12:4, it may be correct to conclude that it was Abraham that initiated that previous move out of the land of Ur of the Chaldeans, but was not willing to leave his old father and late brother’s son behind.
For Terah, Abraham, Sarah and Lot, the land of Canaan was supposed to be the destination of the journey that began from Ur of the Chaldeans. When they set out of Ur initially, their intention was not to terminate their journey halfway in Haran, but one way or the other, they ended up making Haran a permanent dwelling place instead of a terminus. Months rolled upon months, years rolled upon years, decades rolled upon decades in Haran, everyone had totally forgotten about Canaan, they completely settled in Haran and carried on with life without any desire to proceed anymore to Canaan. For Terah, Abraham, Sarah and Lot, the desire to continue the journey to Canaan had been utterly extinguished; the vison to make it to the land of Canaan had completely disappeared. Unfortunately, Terah died in Haran, he never made it to Canaan because he settled down in Haran.
Right in the midst of total loss of direction and complete disconnection from the original purpose, the LORD had to appear and speak to Abraham again. It would appear God’s instruction that came to Abraham in Genesis 12:1 was a renewed call to a man that had settled for Haran instead of Canaan. Thankfully, this time around, Abraham responded to God’s call with immediate obedience and complete submission. The renewed call really fired him up to the extent that he was ready to move in faith, even when God didn’t disclose the final destination to him –“a land that I will show you”.
Today, many people seem to be in the same situation Terah and Abraham found themselves. Many people actually heard and had responded to God’s prompting to move out from their respective “Ur of the Chaldeans” into the land of Canaan, but one way or the other, they have settled down in Haran and had totally lost the vision of Canaan. You need to realize that where you are at the moment is Haran not Canaan; the destination God is taking you to is much bigger than what you’ve settled down for. If Abraham had stayed put in Haran, he would have lost his glorious destiny forever, he would have irredeemably lost his place in God’s eternal plan. You can’t afford to accept less than God’s best for your life. To accept Haran as your permanent dwelling place is to rob yourself of the unending joy of Canaan. Never accept less than God’s best for your life, don’t settle down in Haran!
The first question that comes to mind here is whose idea or decision was the initial move to leave Ur of the Chaldeans for the land of Canaan? Also, at whose instruction or command was the initial move made? If the initial journey out of Ur of the Chaldeans towards the land of Canaan was initiated under God’s express instruction and command, who was the instruction or command specifically directed to? It is important we find answers to these questions, especially when considering the fact that, later in Genesis 12:1, the Bibles says “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee”. Looking at the statement ‘Now the LORD had said unto Abram…’, it would appear this was not the very first time the LORD was speaking about moving out of Ur of the Chaldeans. The statement doesn’t sound like a totally fresh instruction. The previous move, most probably, was initiated because some form of prompting was received from the LORD.
From the statement “And Terah took Abram…” it would appear it was Terah that made the decision and played the lead role in the initial move of the family to go out of Ur of the Chaldeans, but the fact that Nahor, Terah’s second son, was completely left out of the relocation arrangement, suggests otherwise. Terah lived and raised his three (3) sons – Abraham, Nahor and Haran in Ur of the Chaldeans. The three sons got married in Ur, but the last son –Haran died, leaving Abraham and Nahor, together with Lot (late Haran’s son). If the initial move was actually Terah’s idea, I see no reason why he would exclude Nahor (his second son) from the relocation plan. Abraham, most probably, had personally received some form of prompting from the LORD about the urgent need to move out of the land of Ur of the Chaldeans, and had shared the idea with his aged father. Considering the way and manner he went with Lot when God spoke again to him in Genesis Chapter 12:4, it may be correct to conclude that it was Abraham that initiated that previous move out of the land of Ur of the Chaldeans, but was not willing to leave his old father and late brother’s son behind.
For Terah, Abraham, Sarah and Lot, the land of Canaan was supposed to be the destination of the journey that began from Ur of the Chaldeans. When they set out of Ur initially, their intention was not to terminate their journey halfway in Haran, but one way or the other, they ended up making Haran a permanent dwelling place instead of a terminus. Months rolled upon months, years rolled upon years, decades rolled upon decades in Haran, everyone had totally forgotten about Canaan, they completely settled in Haran and carried on with life without any desire to proceed anymore to Canaan. For Terah, Abraham, Sarah and Lot, the desire to continue the journey to Canaan had been utterly extinguished; the vison to make it to the land of Canaan had completely disappeared. Unfortunately, Terah died in Haran, he never made it to Canaan because he settled down in Haran.
Right in the midst of total loss of direction and complete disconnection from the original purpose, the LORD had to appear and speak to Abraham again. It would appear God’s instruction that came to Abraham in Genesis 12:1 was a renewed call to a man that had settled for Haran instead of Canaan. Thankfully, this time around, Abraham responded to God’s call with immediate obedience and complete submission. The renewed call really fired him up to the extent that he was ready to move in faith, even when God didn’t disclose the final destination to him –“a land that I will show you”.
Today, many people seem to be in the same situation Terah and Abraham found themselves. Many people actually heard and had responded to God’s prompting to move out from their respective “Ur of the Chaldeans” into the land of Canaan, but one way or the other, they have settled down in Haran and had totally lost the vision of Canaan. You need to realize that where you are at the moment is Haran not Canaan; the destination God is taking you to is much bigger than what you’ve settled down for. If Abraham had stayed put in Haran, he would have lost his glorious destiny forever, he would have irredeemably lost his place in God’s eternal plan. You can’t afford to accept less than God’s best for your life. To accept Haran as your permanent dwelling place is to rob yourself of the unending joy of Canaan. Never accept less than God’s best for your life, don’t settle down in Haran!
By: Ezekiel Olukolajo
Copyright January 2021
Contact: [email protected]
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The only improvement I would make is I think you left the word 'the' out in the below sentence.
the vison to make it to (THE?) land of Canaan had completely disappeared.